Late Summer Maine Lakeside Wedding at Autumn Lane Estate

Emma & Branden

August 26, 2023

Natalya DeSena captured Emma and Branden’s late summer wedding beautifully. Emma and Branden were married on August 26, 2023 under sunny skies at Autumn Lane Estate, situated on Sebago Lake in Maine. Their gorgeous day was filled with so much joy and dogs! Their two fur babies not only joined them onsite at Autumn Lane, but also actively participated in their parents’ ceremony. We can’t wait to share just a little bit of their day below.

Emma and Branden shared a little bit about their love story by saying, “After dating long distance for a couple months and finally reuniting over Emma’s winter break from college, we hiked to the top of Stowe Pinnacle in Vermont at sunset and Branden asked Emma to be his official girlfriend. So when Branden knew he wanted to propose, he decided on another mountain setting. We woke up at something like three in the morning to drive to Acadia National Park and watch the sunrise on top of Cadillac Mountain. Branden asked a stranger to take our picture as the sun rose over the clouds, and as she went to take the picture (which was actually a video) Branden knelt down and popped the question! We celebrated with a hot breakfast and many happy phone calls to friends and family to share the news.”

Emma had picked out Autumn Lane before they even got engaged. When they unexpectedly found themselves moving from Maine to Vermont, it became a sentimental spot to retain their connection to their home state. They also wanted to make a weekend full of adventures for their wedding, and not just one day. Autumn Lane offers all sorts of amenities being situated on the lake that made their wedding a full experience. Since all of their guests were coming from abroad, Autumn Lanes’ onsite accommodations helped make it possible for some of their guests to stay on the property!

They wanted their wedding to feel like a garden party and have the venue speak for itself with all of its natural beauty. Their bright florals by Farmhouse Florals were really the only decoration needed to add that extra element of garden charm. MANE Catering provided an incredible raw bar that delighted all of their guests.

When asked to reflect on their favorite moments from their wedding, “Branden’s favorite memory was the moment he saw Emma walking down the aisle. Even though he had the chance to see Emma at the first look, her walking down the aisle made the reality of the vows they were about to share truly hit home.” Emma shared that, “…it was my first look with Branden on the beautiful waterfront of lake Sebago. The serenity of the lake and finally getting to see Branden for the first time all day settled my nerves and I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be at that moment. The private vows we shared on the water before saying them in front of family and friends made the first look even more special.”

Emma and Branden shared a piece of advice for engaged couples in the wedding planning process. “We highly recommend you find a day-of, month of or full blown wedding planner. Also, book the big things first, aka your venue and this will help everything else fall into place. Autumn Lane’s preferred vendors list was incredibly helpful in our search for various vendors, and their personal connections with those saved us a lot of headaches.”